Michael Loring's Blog, page 3
December 16, 2014
The Wager: A Game Changer Prequel (Playing Games #0.5) by Rene Folsom
The Wager: A Game Changer Prequel (Playing Games #0.5) by Rene Folsom
Synopsis:
You’d think the masks would come off once the ball drops at the New Year’s masquerade but, tossing caution to the wind, Liam and Maci decide to have a bit of fun by continuing to keep their faces hidden from each other during a night full of games and passion.
Get to know these two game-playing lovers before they even know each other in The Wager, a prequel to the new novel in the Playing Games series, Game Changer.
Note: This contemporary romance novella is an optional read in the Playing Games series and contains adult situations meant for ages 18+.
Review:
The Wager is a contemporary romance novella, and an optional read in Author Rene Folsom’s new Playing Games series. It gives the backstory to the first in her new book series, Game Changer.
At a New Years Eve party, Maci, a covert science fiction author dressed as Marvel’s Black Cat, meets Liam, the lead developer at nZone Games cosplaying The Phantom of the Opera. Only neither know who the other is. In the midst of a wonderful night together, they decide to place a wager. Whoever wins in a game of Super Smash Bros. gets whatever they want, and what both of them want is each other – only in different ways.
That’s as far as I can go with describing what happens in the story. If you want to know what happens, then you’re gonna have to read this. And by the Almighty, you’re gonna want to read this novella!
Rene Folsom once again flexes her writing muscles with this amazing story. It’s hard to make something so short so awesome, but doing that is Rene’s forte. She blends comedy, romance, video gaming, and cosplaying into a perfect mix that’s titled The Wager. As a hopeless romantic gamer who likes to tell a joke, this was the perfect piece of fiction for me, and for any and everybody like me!
Five out of Five stars!
December 8, 2014
Winter Kiss by Rising Indies United Cover Reveal
Title: Winter Kiss
A Holiday Romance Collection
Authors:
S.L. Dearing | Magen McMinimy | Rene Folsom
Release Date: December 15th, 2014
Cover Design by Phycel Design
Synopsis
When the chill of winter drives you under the covers, snuggle up with this romantic collection of three steamy holiday inspired stories about hope, love and passion.
One Wish: A North American Pack & Half-Blood Princess Christmas by Magen McMinimy
In a forgotten mining town, deep in the Bitterroot Valley, the Montana faction of the North American Pack of werewolves prepares for the holidays. When an innocent wish and a powerful spell is cast, vampires, witches, and weres are forced together for one unforgettable night, causing everyone involved to reevaluate what is truly important and what is needed to make them whole.
The Wager: A Game Changer Prequel by Rene Folsom
You’d think the masks would come off once the ball drops at the New Year’s masquerade, but tossing caution to the wind, Liam and Maci decide to have a bit of fun by continuing to keep their faces hidden from each other during a night full of games and passion.
Get to know these two game-playing lovers before they even know each other in The Wager, a prequel to the new novel in the Playing Games series, Game Changer.
The Gift by S.L. Dearing
It’s been eight months since Kate and Matt met, fell head over heels, and moved in together. Now that the holidays are upon them, can they combine their two celebrations and families into one, or will an unexpected problem tear them apart?
From the imaginations of the authors behind Rising Indies United come stories of romance that are bound to fill you with holiday spirit.
**This collection is intended for readers 18 and older.**
Stalk the Authors of Winter Kiss
S.L. Dearing | Magen McMinimy | Rene Folsom
Add Winter Kiss to your TBR on Goodreads!
November 27, 2014
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (Necromancer #1) by Lish McBride
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer (Necromancer #1) by Lish McBride
Synopsis:
Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.
Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces . . . or else.
With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?
Review:
Hold Me Closer, Necromancer is the first in Author Lish McBride’s Necromancer series, following late bloomer necromancer Sam LaCroix and the troubles his newly budding powers are causing him.
Sam has, up until now, lived a fairly normal life. Dropped out of college, working a dead-end job, and barely scraping by. After a game of make-shift hockey behind work during break, Sam becomes tangled up with Douglas Montgomery, a very dangerous necromancer who has plans for Sam.
One week is all Sam gets to figure out what to do: join forces with Douglas, or have everyone he loves be murdered. That week is, without a doubt, one of the worst of Sam’s life.
This was a very enjoyable novel. It took some time to really get into, as I felt the story swerved a bit too abruptly to Brid, the hybrid werewolf who eventually becomes the love interest. There was no subtlety there, and I suppose others would appreciate that but it was a little too much for my taste. Other than that though, I felt the writing was well done, the story was chalk full of drama and suspense, not to mention snippets of horror. In the end, despite the little hiccup in the beginning, I was absorbed completely into this book and am glad I decided to pick it up!
Four out of Five stars!
November 23, 2014
Madness (Asher Benson #2) by Jason Brant
Madness (Asher Benson #2) by Jason Brant
Synopsis:
Asher Benson has once again fled to a secluded cabin in the mountains outside of the sleepy town of Arthur’s Creek, West Virginia. Government agents surround him day and night, blanketing his entire life in constant surveillance under the guise of keeping him safe.
That facade is shattered when every cell phone in Arthur’s Creek rings simultaneously. Anyone who answers the call is driven into a violent, psychotic madness that turns the entire town into a slaughterhouse.
And Ash is caught in the middle of it all.
Review:
Madness is the second in Horror/Thriller Author Jason Brant’s Asher Benson series, continuing the unfortunate tale of telepath Ash and his merry band of wise-cracking friends.
It’s been a few months since the events of the first novel, and Ash has relocated himself back to the cabin that he had escaped to after leaving the army. The government keep a close eye on him, and although he’s displeased by it he doesn’t really fight it. He’s sunk into a near permanent drunken stupor, and he doesn’t have any real plans on getting sober any time soon.
But, outside of his telepathic reach, there are dark things brewing. The town of Arthur’s Creek has gone bonkers. After a mysterious phone call sends all who answered it into a homicidal rage, Ash is forced to pull himself off his couch to fight this new threat. From teenage boys with guns to behemoths with sledgehammers, Ash and his friends have quite the time trying to survive the madness of Arthur’s Creek.
Through it all, Jason Brant once again brings the wit and humor that the first novel was so admired for. Ash is, as always, a snarky bastard with a horrible potty mouth and an incessant need to make unnecessary commentary when faced with danger.
The Asher Benson series is definitely one to keep an eye out for. I, for one, am extremely excited to see what comes next! Especially after an ending like the one Madness had!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out Jason Brant’s website here!
Check out my review for ASH here!
Check out my review for The Perfect Crime: An Asher Benson Short Story here!
November 19, 2014
Extraterrestrial by Michael Loring
Extraterrestrial by Michael Loring
Years ago, before I had published my first ever short story The Fox in the Field, I had written a short story based on the music video for E.T. by Katy Perry. It was a spur of the moment thing, to be perfectly honest. I’ve never really been a fan of Katy Perry’s (although I don’t hate her in any way) but her song E.T. really did catch my attention when it first came out. But, it wasn’t truly the song that captured my affections… it was the music video.
Other than the part with Kanye West (who I shamelessly admit I hate) I really loved Katy Perry’s music video for E.T. From the opening song Where In The World (Could My Lover Be) by Midge Williams & Her Jazz Jesters to Katy Perry and Shaun Ross walking off into the sunset, I really did enjoy this video.
And it’s because of my love for the music video did I write this short story based on the abstract storyline featured within it.
Keep in mind, I wrote this when I was 17. It may not live up to my standard nowadays, but I am still very proud of this story.
I hope you enjoy it!
Extraterrestrial
by Michael Loring
The black void of space ran for eons, littered with beautiful novae that twinkled in the darkness. Stars, so bright and full of energy, traced her path as she languidly flew through the blackness. Her eyes gazed over the lights, all blinking as their energies rose, then fell, signaling her return to this sector. She had flown through the vastness of space, traveled from the most beautiful nebula to the harshest of asteroid fields. Each star collected a piece of her essence, lying dormant until her return to remind her of her last visit. The last she had come to this area was almost three millennia ago; though it felt no longer than a blink of an eye.
In all of her travels, she had seen so much, yet done so little. She was an observer, nothing more. She had watched civilizations rise, then fall. She had witnessed the beginning of over a thousand races, had been there when a planet rotted from the inside out. She had seen death of all kinds, and had gazed into the eyes of a million species. Some tall, some small, some with gray skin, others with no skin at all. She was nothing more than a watcher; passing by and witnessing the story of others unfold. An enigma, taking no true shape as her body morphed and mirrored that of the race she last visited.
She was the alien to aliens. She had no people of her own, no race of others who shared her capabilities. Hers was a unique DNA structure, and she loathed it. Lonely, she flew through space, no true destination in mind. She gave a soft frown, her current form being that of the gray skinned woman with long yet thin limbs and a bulbous head with beady eyes. She did not know the name of the race she was taking the form of, only that it was a relatively new species that had been born only a decade ago. No name had been placed into their chubby hands as of yet; but when a name was appointed she would be the first outsider to know.
She had many names, all given by the people she visited, but she had no name for herself; no self-given name that she could go by. She could only refer to herself as such: Herself. Did having no birth-given name make her not real? How was she conceived? Did she come from an egg, or was she the procreation of one or more parents? How had she, in all of her sentient being, come to be alive? Was she even alive? Was she nothing more than a ghost – an echo that travels through space in search of the voice that had spoken her existence?
Planets stood far off in the distance, glowing with life and vegetation. She passed by them without a second glance. They were all places she had visited, all places that had some form of worship to her. She was a God to them, an angel from wherever they believed. But she was not. She was nothing more than a watcher.
Robes fluttered about her body as she floated along the stream of life. They were an assortment of colors, all portraying an experience she shared with others. Pinks and purples and yellows, all beautiful in her eyes. So vibrant; so alive. They sustained themselves through her will alone, created from her own imagination and maintained by her existence. Where she got the power to do such things, she did not know. Yet again, she asks, what is she?
No purpose, no location to land and settle. She drifted, as if in search of something. Was she looking for something? Was this long voyage an adventure towards some sort of goal that had been set up for her long ago? Has someone forged a path, and set her on it? So many questions…
She spun in a circle, gazing out into the stars. No matter how many times she looked out, she still found beauty in her surroundings. The stars blazed with such fierce determination that she would have bowed in respect to them had they been sentient; the gases of space twisted and turned, taking shapes and letting her interpret them as whatever thing she desired them to be; the planets had a light about them, such a light that it illuminated the darkest recesses of space and gave the galaxy a welcoming feeling. She gave a thin smile with her gray lips, letting her robes dance about her as she basked in the glorious universe she was in. Despite her melancholy she could still conceive beauty, could still relish the marvels of the universe which was her highway. She gained strength from the life that vibrated around her, be it from the planets or from the stars. No matter how down she would get, the beauty of life always brought her spirits higher and higher again.
In her dance, she let her guard down. In her conscious mind she did not notice the massive energy ahead, but now, as her body moved to a rhythm only she recognized, she was hit hard by the energy and was thrown aback by it. She halted, flattening her body against an invisible wall she had conjured up just for this moment. She gave a curious frown, looking in all directions for whatever had hit her.
Off in the distance she could feel a power so deep it almost made her cry. There was a kinetic pulse that spread through the cosmos, echoing off from planet to planet, as if asking for help. She followed the energy, entranced by its unfamiliar presence. The last she had been here in this area she had not felt such a power. But how could she not? It was so massive, so grim and stale. Had she been not strong enough to sense it? Had it been that she needed more power to understand this signature? She moved by planets, stars, gases and even an asteroid field in search of the source of this energy.
Her robes whipped behind her, glowing as her interest was piqued. Something within her stirred, and she couldn’t help but become obsessed with finding this energy. It was so odd, so void of any of the feelings she normally felt when finding something new. It held no life, yet at the same time held more life than any other system she had visited. It was dark, yet bright. Happy, yet sad. She gave a gasp as the energy fully engulfed her and she was hit by visions she had never experienced before in her long existence.
In her mind’s eye she began to watch a series of events take place somewhere she had never seen before. It was a world of water and grass, of trees and blue skies. There were no wastelands where the creatures evolved, but only cocoons of love and warmth in which they grew then emerged from to continue their evolution. She watched as strange things moved about under the water, then grew legs and walked on land. She witnessed animals ruling the planet with peace and instinct. Before her eyes did she see the birth of what would later be called a deer; before her eyes did she see the life of a bird, the battle of lions, the unity of wolves, the blossoming of a flower. Then the inevitable creation of the planet’s master race.
What she saw was a man, standing tall on two, bulky legs covered in hair and cloth. That man was joined by a woman, and they procreated. More came, until the world was full of them. Hunting for their nourishment, adapting to their environment to survive, mating to keep the race progressing. She felt the joy of life through these things – these… humans, as they called themselves.
She stared in stunned awe as these people advanced, growing in number and learning to accommodate for themselves under their own established rule-set. They built laws without the aid of other planets, came to believe in a God that they worshiped without being visited by another species. They were truly pure, and she couldn’t help but relish the light that washed over her body as she changed form. She was taking on their appearance, shifting from her gray body to a smaller, more effeminate shape.
At first, changing forms hurt. It was an unbelievable pain that ruptured every strand of DNA in her body, but now it was comforting; soothing to her conscious mind. She moaned into the void of space, letting her voice carry on as her skin turned into the color of peaches, as her head shrunk and long, black hair grew down her neck and back. Her mouthed pursed, and the voice that came out was that of true purity. She opened her eyes, looking down at her lithe hands. They were now the hands of a human, as was the rest of her body.
Her hair was black, long and straight with white curls at the end. Her body was curvaceous by the standards of normal human women, and her skin was a fare shade of pink. Her eyes, amber with round pupils, gave a glow of wisdom and knowledge as she manifested. She was in all forms beautiful, and she knew this without a doubt.
More visions came to her once she was transformed. She watched as man married woman, bore children and watched them grow. She watched as man betrayed woman with another woman, as woman left man for other men. She watched as children grew with frowns and ended themselves before life could truly grasp them. She listened to the cruel words people threw at one another, heard their spite towards the ones who were different. She frowned, feeling the strife of the human race as it continued to evolve, but in the wrong way.
She yelled out in pain as she felt the torment of war, the petulance of killing animal for sport rather than survival. The harsh stab of betrayal between brothers and sisters. She writhed as the once beautiful landscape became contorted, a parody of what she had seen earlier in the planet’s life. Trees became buildings, grass became streets, oceans turned into dry pits, and the smiling face of humanity turned into a bitter frown of hatred.
She held onto her chest, where the human heart would be, and cried out as tears raced down her cheeks. She gazed into the eyes of children without parents, into the void of many a heart, into the vacant abyss where love and charity should have been, but instead it held emptiness and longing. This was once a proud planet, but now it was nothing more than ashes.
She now drifted along the atmosphere of the very planet she had been seeing in her mind. It was a shadow of its former glory; now the very wasteland other planets emerged from. But as she broke through the clouds and floated down to the surface she found that this wasteland was not empty like on other planets. It was full of the rotted remains the humans had left behind when they expired. Black ashes covered the technology the humans had become so dependent on, deluding their inanimate faces and shying away their bodies from her view. She gave a distasteful frown at the machines, blaming them for the downfall of man.
“Such a waste,” she spoke with the tongue of man, respecting their memory as such. She let her feet touch the dirt, and felt that energy surge through her yet again. She shivered, closing her eyes and scanning the area for the source of it with her mind. It wasn’t the planet itself that exuded this power, but something more specific on it.
She walked with graceful strides, stepping over trash and other forms of waste. This was all the planet was now: a giant trash ball in space. She couldn’t see much of the natural ground, just more garbage. She stared into the soulless eyes of the robots; let her robes graze the faces of metal contraptions that the humans held so dear. What they saw in these things, she would never know, nor did she truly care. She had seen the birth and death of this race, just like many others, but for some odd reason this planet held something more to her than just another empty world. It almost made her feel at peace, as if walking into her own home after so long. It was impossible though that this place could be her home, for she was much older than it by millennia.
Could it have something to do with the energy she felt?
After what could have been hours, she finally found the source of the power. She hadn’t known what to expect, made no assumptions as to what this feeling may be, but she was pleasantly shocked to find that the power that had smacked her from nearly trillions of miles away was nothing more than a simple ring.
“How marvelous…” she said to the dust coated air, still speaking in human tongue. She kneeled down onto the ground, her robes flowing about her body as if the gravity of this planet didn’t affect it – which it didn’t. She leaned down and plucked the ring from between a pile of black rubber the humans had called tires. She blew on it gently, the dust floating away into the air. She smiled as she held the ring, feeling the energy flow through her. It was just a simple golden band, made for the finger to signify the bonding of a man and a woman in marriage. A wedding ring, it was called. She held it in the palms of her hands, smiling the whole while at its simple, yet elegant structure.
She brought it to her face and ran a delicate finger over its smooth body, allowing her energy to mix with its own. It then began to glow, lifting from between her fingers into the air, suspended by the brilliant light that emanated from it. She watched it, unblinking and unfazed by the light. She had stared into the brightest of suns, and this could not compare to their destructive light. But no sun in the universe could even come close to the way this light washed over her, igniting little fires along her skin and making her feel so… real. So alive.
The light faded, and before her stood a man. He stood tall, a good few inches taller than her in this form, with a broad build and pale as the moon skin. His head was bald, and his body naked. He was void of the soul his body required to live. He was nothing more than an empty vessel, waiting for when he would live again.
She stood and looked into his face, tracing his jaw line and the bridge of his nose. She stepped forward, marveling at his beauty. She placed her hand on his cheek, tilting his stiff head downwards towards her. She leaned into him, placing a soft kiss to his cold lips.
In that instant, she lived through his life. She tasted the food he had eaten, felt the warmth of his loved ones, enjoyed his favorite hobbies. She watched his existence go by; all the love, hate, angst, desire, and pain that had built this finely tuned boy into a man. His essence was collected from the universe, all flowing into him to bring him back from wherever he had been scattered. Once she could feel no other trace of him left anywhere but right here, she knew she had done it.
As she pulled back, she gazed into the now life-filled eyes of who she had been for a mere instant. He gasped as life coursed through him, dark hair growing atop his head and his body shifting into the unique shape he had adorned in his human years. His eyes were a brilliant green, his skin still as pale as the moon. He stood tall with pride, his posture erect as he was brought back into this dimension through her power alone. She gave him life, and he basked in its glory right before her eyes.
She smiled at the man as his eyes landed on her. He breathed in the air, coughing lightly as dirt and dust entered his frail lungs. She wanted to laugh at how fragile humans had been, but she held her composure and just watched him scan the area, taking in all of this new stimulation.
“Where… are we?” he asked her, his voice raspy, yet masculine. Confusion shone bright in his eyes as he looked over the piles of artificial filth lying for miles upon miles across the planet.
“Earth,” she said simply, acknowledging the planet’s name for the first time.
He turned to her, his eyes wide with human innocence. “E-Earth?” He still was confused, she could see it. His vision of Earth wasn’t this wasteland, but of other people and bright blue skies and buildings as far as he could see. In his mind, this had to be a dream. But it wasn’t, she thought, never once losing her smile.
“Yes,” she said, cupping his cheek yet again. “I have brought you back to life, my darling.”
The man instinctively leaned into her palm, enjoying the warmth it brought to his cold skin. “Was I… dead?”
“Yes.”
He took this in with a quiet demeanor. He was stunned, and could not believe the truth. She could feel the power of him growing with each passing second, expanding over the terrain like water. She felt comfort from the power, and closed her eyes for a second to revel in it.
“Are you God?” he finally asked in a hushed tone. She opened her eyes and stared into his almost frightful eyes. He feared her answer, and with just cause. What he believed to be happening was a punishment; some sort of hellish treatment for a wrong-doing he had committed in life.
“No, I am not your God,” she said, shaking her head, strands of her black hair swishing in front of her face.
He was entranced by the strands of hair. “Are you… an Angel?”
She again smiled at him. “Only if you want me to be,” she said, running her thumb over his cheekbone with fascination.
He sighed in content at her touch, closing his eyes as she soothed him with her power. “Who are you, then?”
Such an innocent question, she thought. This man was so untouched by the cruelties of the universe, so pure in his own convoluted way. It attracted her to him.
“I am yours,” she proclaimed then leaned in to kiss him again, but not to revive him. Instead, it was a seal that merged their energies together into one being. In this kiss they became two halves to one whole – two parts of the same being. She could feel him, as he could feel her.
They pulled apart, and he stared into her amber eyes, watching as her pupils dilated from the rush of power running through her body. “You are mine?” he echoed.
“Forever,” she whispered back, and they kissed again.
They held hands and walked off into the black void of space. They would copulate and breed new life into the universe, starting their own race. A mix of human, with a dab of whatever she was. They would be powerful, and they wouldn’t fall victim to the same fate as the human race had. History repeated itself, only if you forgot it. And neither would ever forget.
She took the name Eve, as he the name Adam, playing along with an old biblical tale told to human children. The beginning of man was through the reproduction of Adam and Eve, as was told by men in white robes holding the book of God. And so, their race would start the same way. Through the reproduction of Adam, and his Angel from the stars, Eve.
If you want to see the parallels between my short story and Katy Perry’s E.T. music video, you can watch it here:
November 18, 2014
The Perfect Crime: An Asher Benson Short Story by Jason Brant
The Perfect Crime: An Asher Benson Short Story by Jason Brant
Synopsis:
The Rules have allowed Andrew Phillips to commit the most heinous of crimes for decades. He meticulously plans and executes kidnappings, murders, and other unspeakable acts to children. No one has ever come close to solving the atrocities he perpetrates every few months.
Phillips thinks he’s successfully committed the perfect crimes.
And then he meets Asher Benson.
Review:
The Perfect Crime is a short story that bridges the gap between ASH – the first book in Author Jason Brant’s Asher Benson series – and Madness – the upcoming sequel to ASH.
As this is a short story, I can’t go into too much detail about the plot. All I can say is it’s about a pedophile murderer who thinks he’s gotten away with all of his horrible crimes, and continues to think he will get away with it until he meets Ash – the telepathic protagonist of the series.
It’s a riveting story, detailing this murderer’s thoughts as he plans his next kill and reminisces about past kills. Jason Brant once again flexes his talents in bringing this man to life, and subsequently bringing it all to an end with the introduction of Asher Benson.
Brutal and livid, this short story is the perfect holdover until you’re able to get your hands on the next Asher Benson novel!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out Jason Brant’s website here!
November 4, 2014
The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner
The Death Cure (The Maze Runner #3) by James Dashner
Synopsis:
It’s the end of the line.
WICKED has taken everything from Thomas: his life, his memories, and now his only friends—the Gladers. But it’s finally over. The trials are complete, after one final test.
Will anyone survive?
What WICKED doesn’t know is that Thomas remembers far more than they think. And it’s enough to prove that he can’t believe a word of what they say.
The truth will be terrifying.
Thomas beat the Maze. He survived the Scorch. He’ll risk anything to save his friends. But the truth might be what ends it all.
The time for lies is over.
Review:
The Death Cure is the third and final book in James Dashner’s bestselling series, The Maze Runner. The time for lies is over, and Thomas is about to face his hardest challenge yet: escaping WICKED once and for all.
It’s been a few weeks since he and the others were lifted from the Scorch, and Thomas has been isolated. Just as he’s about to sink into a pool of madness not brought on by The Flare, he is released. Not only is he reunited with his friends, but he’s given a startling revelation: he’s going to get his memories back.
But he isn’t sure he wants them back. He doesn’t know if he wants to remember the person he had been before the Maze. He fears that person will continue with all the evil deeds WICKED wants done, and as such he makes a run for it. Escaping WICKED is only the first part though, and eventually Thomas finds himself with an impossible choice to make: die, or let every one else in the world die.
I literally finished reading this book in a day. Well, a little over 24 hours. I was absorbed into the story instantly. I was starving for the answers every fan of The Maze Runner series has been craving, and quite a lot of them were answered in this book. A few are left open, but I feel like that might just be intentional… do I sense a possible fourth book in the future? Please oh please!!
There were so many emotions brought on by this book, it’s hard to pin them down to explain them in full detail. I can list off a few: despair, fear, hope, courage, shock and awe, and of course, triumph. This book has them all and more. I was praying for the survival of every single good character in this book, and although I didn’t get that specific wish granted, I was so happy at the sorta… kinda… maybe HEA?
Once again the writing is impeccable, and I am once again floored by James Dashner’s ability to create such a complex world of conspiracy, sci-fi, and dystopia. It’s absolutely amazing what this author has brought us, and I definitely plan to keep with him with everything else he comes out with!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out James Dashner’s website here!
Check out my review for The Maze Runner here!
November 3, 2014
The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner
The Scorch Trials (The Maze Runner #2) by James Dashner
Synopsis:
Solving the Maze was supposed to be the end.
Thomas was sure that escape from the Maze would mean freedom for him and the Gladers. But WICKED isn’t done yet. Phase Two has just begun. The Scorch.
There are no rules. There is no help. You either make it or you die.
The Gladers have two weeks to cross through the Scorch—the most burned-out section of the world. And WICKED has made sure to adjust the variables and stack the odds against them.
Friendships will be tested. Loyalties will be broken. All bets are off.
There are others now. Their survival depends on the Gladers’ destruction—and they’re determined to survive.
Review:
The Scorch Trials is the second in Author James Dashner’s bestselling series, The Maze Runner. It is also starting to become my favorite series of ALL TIME!
I’ve said that about a few other books, but I really mean it. It’s easy to fall in love with a standalone novel, but much harder to truly, deeply love a full series. Author James Dashner has successfully caught my admiration for this series, and I swear I just couldn’t get enough of it.
After escaping the Maze, Thomas and the other Gladers think they’re home-free. They think it’s over, that the nightmares they endured whilst in the Maze was the end. But it wasn’t the end, it was merely the beginning.
After the disappearance of Teresa, a new boy shows up named Aris who shares Thomas’s and Teresa’s ability to speak telepathically. Shortly thereafter, a new man appears explaining that “it’s time for the hard part.” Thrown into a desert titled the Scorch, the Gladers must fight their way to a city full of people who are infected with a disease known as the Flare – a ravenous ailment that drives a person literally insane. Fighting to stay alive is their only task, or else they might just succumb to the disease as well and be left to go utterly mad in a city full of lunatics.
Along the way, they make allies, encounter new clues as to what it is WICKED truly wants from them. Thomas is the key to it all, but he isn’t sure he’ll like the answer he might receive if he survives long enough to get it.
Exceptional writing. Thomas is completely fleshed out as a character, more than I have ever seen in any other story. It’s absolutely amazing how easy it is to disappear into the book with Thomas at the helm as the main character. I could feel his turmoil, his fear, his desire to live. It was a roller coaster of emotions, one I didn’t want to get off of. If the fact that this book is absolutely remarkable isn’t for certain, then what IS for certain is that I’m already on my way to read the third and final book in the series!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out James Dashner’s website here!
November 1, 2014
Wisconsin Vamp by Scott Burtness
Wisconsin Vamp by Scott Burtness
Synopsis:
“Midwestern nice” is hard to pull off when you’re a bloodthirsty monster.
Poor Herb isn’t even sure how he got vamped in the first place. With no one to guide him, Herb fumbles into his newfound abilities, courting disaster with each bumbling step. Sure, there are some perks. The local stripper wants him, he can do this whammy mind-control thing, and he is getting a lot better at bowling. But he can’t drink beer, the bodies are piling up, and his best friend Dallas is getting suspicious. When Herb and Dallas go for the same girl, keeping his dark secret becomes the least of Herb’s concerns.
Booze, billiards, bake sales, babes, bowling, bar fights, blood and karaoke. Who would’ve thought that being undead would make life so interesting?
Review:
Wisconsin Vamp is the first book in Author Scott Burtness’s Monsters in The Midwest series, detailing the unfortunate vampication of Herb Knudson who makes pretty good French toast.
Herb has spent his whole life as the victim. Bullies tormented him throughout his school years, one of them his best friend Dallas, and now as an adult he’s plagued by crippling shyness around the girl of his dreams – who happens to be the waitress at the diner where he works as a cook. After being bitten by a strange mosquito, Herb finds himself as one of the undead… as in, he’s become a vampire. He doesn’t understand why, or what he’s supposed to do, but he figures he’ll just go with the flow. When bodies start to pile up, and his blood lust starts to control his life (as does his desire to get the girl before his friend does) Herb finds himself going down a dark path… and part of him likes it.
I really enjoyed this book. My biggest point to make for it is that the author is a terrific writer. The narrative of this story was very well done, almost poetic in a down-to-earth sort of way. It didn’t just state facts like some books do, it actually gave great insight to the moment with a slightly detached voice outside of Herb. I found that very interesting, though sometimes it derailed the story a bit.
I give this book four stars, not because of editing or bad story telling. The editing was pretty good, and the story itself was fantastic. What makes me drop a star is the character Herb himself. I was kind of annoyed by his near speech impediment. The constant “Oh, um. Yeah. Right. Uh” stuff. It at times irked me a lot, and in other spots it kind of fit, especially at the very beginning. But it kept going, and I felt like that should have been tossed out as soon as he became a vampire.
Overall though, this was an awesome book. I greatly recommend it to those who are looking for a new take on the vampire story concept!
Four out of Five stars!
Bound (A Favorite Things Story #2) by Rene Folsom and Juli Valenti
Bound (A Favorite Things Story #2) by Rene Folsom and Juli Valenti
Synopsis:
bound – adjective – restricted or confined to a specified person or place
It was amazing to me how one word could hold so many meanings. Not only did our lives have physical boundaries, both man-made and natural, but our hearts also held captive those we loved, binding our souls together for all eternity. So, when my playful husband pulls out the blindfold and cuffs, I don’t dare question the boundaries we might cross in bed, enjoying Josh and all his marvelously dominant qualities.
My name is Cari, and these stories are just some of the Favorite Things my husband and I love about each other.
Review:
Bound by Rene Folsom and Juli Valenti is the second story in their Favorite Things series, set up as part of the series but can be viewed as a standalone.
Cari and Josh have been married for a while now, but the spark in their relationship has not left. Cari reflects on when a hurricane interrupted their anniversary, and how Josh fixed her bad mood with a surprise session of erotic play.
As this is a short story, I can’t go in to details. But what I can go into is how much I’m loving the combined talents of Rene Folsom and Juli Valenti. Both are masters at their craft, weaving in romance and erotica in a perfect blend. There are a lot of stories out there that focus all on how the characters are having sex and take out all emotion from the scene, whereas these ladies mix in the love that creates that spark between these two characters. It’s a terrific thing, these two working together. I seriously can’t wait to see what they come out with next!
Five out of Five stars!
Check out my review for Adventurous here!
Check out Rene Folsom’s website here!
